Lynnfield can’t shake off slow start in tourney loss

LYNNFIELD – The Lynnfield boys? basketball team dug itself a hole that it wasn?t able to get out of Saturday in the Division 3 North quarterfinals against Pentucket.
The No. 4-seeded Pioneers spotted No. 5 Pentucket a 15-point lead early on and it proved to be costly as the Sachems advanced into the North semifinals with a 58-47 victory in front of a packed house at Lynnfield High.
?It seemed like that everytime that we would get close, (Pentucket) would come down and hit a big shot,” Lynnfield coach Scott McKenzie said. “We could cut the lead down to single digits but it would take us eight or nine minutes to do it. I think that we just ran out of time.”
The two teams had played a one-point game early in the season, won by Lynnfield. In that game, the Pioneers did a number on Pentucket in terms of controlling the backboards.
This time, it was a completely different story as the Sachems limited Lynnfield to one or two shots on a possession while they were able to get three and sometimes even four looks at the basket.
?In that first game, (Lynnfield) did a really good job of controlling the rebounds. They pretty much dominated us,” Pentucket coach Ed Hickey said. “But I thought we did a good job (Saturday) of keeping that in check and not letting them hurt us rebounding.”
The tone was set right away as Pat Beaton buried the first of his four three-pointers to give Pentucket a lead it never relinquished. Paul Pasciuto cut the lead to a point with a basket moments later but it proved to be the closest Lynnfield came to leading all night.
Led by sophomorePat Freiermuth,who was top among all scorers with 19 points, the Sachems went on a 9-0 run to take an 11-2 lead and force a Lynnfield timeout.
?We had talked before the game as coaches about who would have to take the first time out because that would dictate how the game was going,” McKenzie said. “And we had to call it, down 11-2. But after that, it was a pretty even game. Those first four minutes were the difference.”
Lynnfield cut the lead into single digits numerous times in the first half but never could get closer than six points after trailing 21-6 early in the second quarter.Freiermuthput a cap on a nearly perfect half for Pentucket when he buried a three in the final minute to make it 30-20 at the break.
It was more of the same in the third quarter as Lynnfield again cut its deficit to single digits but Pentucket responded with runs of 6-0 and 6-1 late to carry a 44-30 lead to the fourth.
Lynnfield wouldn?t go quietly, thanks to tremendous efforts of junior guard Brendan Sullivan, who nearly singlehandedly willed the Pioneers back into the game.
?Brendan is a kid who gives everything he has,” McKenzie said. “He has such an amazing will to win.”
Down 12 with 2:51 left, Sullivan?s drive to the basket earned a conventional three-point play. He followed with a free throw moments later to make it 47-39 as the Lynnfield crowd finally had a chance to get in the game.Sullivan then had a chance to make it a five-point game off a turnover but his three rattled out. It proved to be the Pioneers last hurrah as Pentucket hit seven-of-nine free throws down the stretch to seal the win.